A smart move all the way around - that system should be well-equipped to handle just about anything you can throw at it for at least 3 years, probably more like 5-7.

BTW, I have been looking at that same dock, trying to justify its cost in my mind (I would really like USB 3 ports) - but I'm not quite there yet. Perhaps when I get around to turning my formal living room into an office.

Liquid and computers don't mix. It might seem simple, but we see an incredible amount of people post here about spills. Keep drinks and other liquids away from your expensive electronics!

Yea 2012 to 2013 MBP isn't a real upgrade. People tend to forget about Intels Tick Tock releases. Sandy was a Tock introducing smaller die size, while Haswell is a Tick into improving the the technology. A true CPU upgrade will not be around Mid 2015.

Even myself with my Mac Mini, I will not be upgrading to new model until the model after next. However this summer I will be purchasing 16GB of Crucial RAM and 2x 3TB WD USB3 External drives.

I figured this day was coming. Kind of like when Apple did away with the "matte" display on laptops...and got rid of the 17" MacBook Pro.

- Nick

I bought a late 2011 MBP (as you did) and had it amped up - the matte version. So I'm also lucky and will be hanging onto this this one as long as possible.

My main concern is that we seem to be moving away from consumer choice.

Apple seems to want to tell us what we will have and like. Why do we have to jailbreak, why should I only be able to use iTunes etc and why can't I buy a matte version?

MS definitely has the edge when it comes to freedom of choice when using your device. Don't get me wrong I love my Apple stuff, but I'm growing tired of being told what I can add/use with it.

Let's hope Apple opens the doors to other products to provide apps and software to use without going outside, their product(s) policies and protocols. If they keep it up, I may have to buy a Surface and a S/sung mini 4

I bought a late 2011 MBP (as you did) and had it amped up - the matte version. So I'm also lucky and will be hanging onto this this one as long as possible.

Same here, though I kind of wish I would have jumped on one of the Ivy Bridge models that were still available right after they released the Retina 15" model. It would be nice to have native USB3.

Quote:

My main concern is that we seem to be moving away from consumer choice.

Though Apple has always had more of a limited selection of hardware, they have gotten particularly draconian recently. The matte display doesn't really concern me that much - but not being able to upgrade memory and epoxying batteries into the case are extremely concerning as they severely limit the useful lifetime of a given device.

Quote:

Apple seems to want to tell us what we will have and like. Why do we have to jailbreak, why should I only be able to use iTunes etc and why can't I buy a matte version?

MS definitely has the edge when it comes to freedom of choice when using your device. Don't get me wrong I love my Apple stuff, but I'm growing tired of being told what I can add/use with it.

Let's hope Apple opens the doors to other products to provide apps and software to use without going outside, their product(s) policies and protocols. If they keep it up, I may have to buy a Surface and a S/sung mini 4

You're kind of mixing issues here, but I did want to comment a bit about the jailbreaking and whatnot.

The reason that the iOS platform is mostly malware and trouble free is precisely the reason why you are locked into the App Store in terms of what software you can have on your mobile device. This is a *good* thing, particularly in a day and age where your mobile device has a GPS transponder, microphone, multiple cameras and can pretty much spy on your every move, every hour, of every day.

Additionally, Apple's tight control of form factors and hardware in the mobile realm mean that you don't have the fragmentation issues that make Android such a terrible platform to develop for. Imagine trying to write an application for a platform where the screen size and resolution can be anything from 1080P in a 4" display to VGA in a 10" tablet form-factor. What happens is that you have to develop for the least common denominator, which results in decidedly low quality third party apps. This is why you'll find that the best Android apps are often not as good as the worst iOS apps.

And of course, as you rightly noted, if you REALLY have to have an app that Apple didn't specifically bless, you can do so by jailbreaking. IMO, this is the best of all worlds.

Now, if they would just get a large-screened iPhone out the door, I'd have little to criticize on the mobile front.

Liquid and computers don't mix. It might seem simple, but we see an incredible amount of people post here about spills. Keep drinks and other liquids away from your expensive electronics!

Trickier job replacing the HD on the 2007 MBP, the 2012 model was easy, but done and buttoned up, and everything seems to work fine.

Feels like a new machine!

- Nick

- Too many "beachballs", read this: Beachballs- Computer seems slower than it used to? Read this for some slow computer tips: Speedup- Almost full hard drive? Some solutions. Out of Space- Apple Battery Info. Battery